Stitched Graffiti
by Amulet Misty
Summary: 28 - Heirloom- 'because Shiki has more than one cat.' xx Blue and Green go well together. So do stitches and graffiti, in its own strange yet wonderful way. xx Drabble/Vignette collection. Neku/Shiki.
1. All Ears

**A/N: Tadaa. Yes, I decided to post a Neku and Shiki drabble/vignette collection. **

* * *

**01 - Drabble - Post Game**

* * *

All Ears

"Your ears look kind of funny."

Neku, who had been sketching in his art book, looked across the room to the girl on his bed.

"My ears are perfectly fine, thanks."

"That's not what I meant. It's just - I was so used to seeing you with your head-phones all the time."

"Yeah, and I was used to you running around with blindingly pink hair."

"..."

"Sorry. That was uncalled for."

"It's okay."

A pause.

"It's easier to listen to you, when you're talking to me, without them on."

Shiki smiled - he could sometimes be sweet, in his odd kind of way.

* * *

**A/N: Just to clarify, a drabble is exactly 100 words long. Vignettes are short, but can be longer than 100 words. I'll post more when I can. Hope you enjoyed - thanks for reading!**


	2. Another Stalker

**A/N: Tadaa. I'm posting one every day for this week. Or at least, I hope I will.**

* * *

**02 - Drabble - Post-Another Day**

* * *

Another Stalker

"Can you please stop stalking me?" Neku snapped, surprising the pink-haired teen who thought he hadn't noticed her.

"I wasn't stalking you."

"You followed me all the way back home-" He gestured to his apartment building. "-from The Scramble."

She fidgeted with her cap. "Well yeah."

"Didn't you have a curfew or something?"

"But I, um, wanted to ask you something."

"Well?"

"Are you going to go out with Pink?"

"No," he said flatly. "I'm straight, geez."

"...Thendoyouwanttomeetupsometim ecauseIthinkyou'rereallycute."

Unscrambling the rush of what she said, Neku turned away, before she could see his face turn red.

"...I'll think about it."

* * *

**A/N:..because Another Day's Neku and Shiki also make an adorable pair. And yes, Shiki was saying a _really_ long word. -cough- Thanks for reading!**

**- 18/9/2012**


	3. Cool as Ice

**03 - Drabble - In-Game **

* * *

Cool as Ice

I _am _cool. What does she expect me to wear? Mus Rattus? Or the frilly excuse of a shirt that 'Prince' wears. My clothes suit me just fine.

"Stop looking so sour," said Stalker, poking my arm.

I glared at her. "What?"

She sighed. "I didn't want you to be mad at me." Then she muttered, "Who knew he was so sensitive about his fashion sense?"

"I heard that. I'm not _sensitive_."

"It's alright; fashion's not something you can pick up in a day."

"I really don't give a crap."

"Then why are we still talking, Mister Super Silent?"

Damn.

* * *

**A/N: Neku being bothered to talk to Shiki = caring. Emo-kids are complicated like that. Thanks for reading.**

**- 19/9/2012**


	4. Let's do IT

**04- Drabble - Post Reaper's Game**

* * *

Let's do IT

I flung my notebook across my room. It was useless - I couldn't come up with a good design if my life depended on it.

Don't get me wrong. I was set on becoming a seamstress - this was a web design for my IT project.

My eyes widened as I realised Neku was standing by my door frame.

I gave Neku a weak smile. "I'm no good at anything computer related."

"I could help."

"Oh no, you don't want to spend your weekend doing this with me."

He picked the notebook up and smiled at me. "Maybe I do."

* * *

**A/N: Inspired by my own frustrating IT homework. I wish I had Neku to help me (although I'd probably be fan-girling instead of working). Thanks for reading!**

**- 20/9/2012**


	5. Voice

**05 - Drabble - Post Reaper's Game**

* * *

Voice

Her voice. Everything else about her from her short dark hair to her round glasses was foreign to him, but it was her voice that really got him.

When she was in Eri's body her voice was louder and stronger - one that demanded attention.

Shiki's real voice was quiet. It wasn't that she wasn't cheerful about being with her friends; she just had a softer voice was all.

"Neku, I wanted to say thank you - for everything," she said gently, smiling at him sincerely. "I'm really glad I met you too."

He decided he preferred her this way.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	6. Puromu

**06 - Drabble - Post Reaper's Game**

* * *

Puromu

"How do Americans do this?" Neku pulled at his tie, as if it was suffocating him.

Shiki rolled her eyes at Neku's ignorance. "It's called 'formal-wear'."

"I know what a suit's for. I meant why would they have a dance before graduation? What's the point?"

"It's supposed to be fun."

Her school's cultural mix festival was supposed to be her chance to try ballroom dancing. But here they were, just sitting at a table.

She watched the other dancers wistfully.

Neku sighed, standing up and offering her his hand. "Would you like to dance, Shiki?"

Her smile lasted all night.

* * *

**A/N: 'Puromu' - japanese pronunciation of 'prom'. And Neku assumes it's solely an American thing to do because, at first I thought it was a solely American thing to do. -until I came to England-.**

**I'm Malaysian for anyone curious.**

**- 22/9/2012**


	7. The 7th Day

**A/N: Tadaa. We've reached the last day of everyday updates. From now on I'll be updating when inspiration hits me. But for now, enjoy this collection's first vignette.**

* * *

**07 - Vignette- First Week, Day 7**

* * *

The 7th Day

"I'll be waiting for you - every day in front of Hachiko…till you come back."

"I'll see you there soon. That's a promise."

The Conductor's voice rang out. "Finished your goodbyes, then?"

Light flashed into their vision, suddenly, making Shiki gasp. "Neku!"

She still had one more thing she needed to ask him. "Once you see the real me, will we still be friends?"

"Count on it. You'll always be Shiki." His eyes gazed softly into hers.

She turned away, overcome with emotion, fist clenched above her heart. She couldn't do it. She couldn't look at Neku, knowing that he was about to play the Reaper's Game – to endure another week of not knowing whether he'd live again. Lights surrounded her, and Shiki started to feel lighter and lighter. _Neku would be fine without me, right?_

But she felt his gaze on her. She turned to look at him, just as her body started lifting off the ground.

_Neku. _She reached for him. She wished so much that he could come back with her.

His hand extended towards her, and she smiled. Neku's own smile told her not to worry; he'd definitely meet her back in the Real-Ground. His hand grew closer to hers – almost close enough to touch – but with a final sparkle of light, Shiki felt herself fade into nothingness.

xxxxxxx

"Now then. As for your new entry fee – "

"You're taking my memory again!?" Now? When he _just_ got them back?

"A Player's entry fee is that which they hold most dear." The Conductor was _smiling_. "That is a rule." He brushed his forehead with his left hand. "I've already taken the liberty of collecting yours."

"What!?" _No, he hasn't. My memory is still-_

"This time, you're playing for…" the Conductor put his hands back in his pockets, "Shiki Misaki." Neku's heart, which he shouldn't even have been able to feel beating, nearly stopped.

"WHAT!?" He couldn't believe it. He _wouldn't_ believe it.

"That's not…" It wasn't possible. His entry fee was supposed to be what was most important to him. _Shiki's not…_he thought of her smile…_what I hold…_he thought of how he wanted – no – _needed_ to reach for her…_most dear. _He thought of everything they'd been through. Shiki, who initially hid between a bubbly façade, just wanted to change herself. Who had, after over only seven days changed _him_.

It was a crushing taste of reality when he realised - yes, he cared for Shiki, even more than his values, even more than _CAT_ – and that it was his fault that she wouldn't make it back to the Real-Ground any time soon.

_Shiki. _

_SHIKI._

"_NOOOOO!_"

* * *

**A/N: Yep, 7 is the lucky number today! This is one of my head-canons of what they thought during this time in the scenes. The dialogue taken directly from the game.**

**Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, reviewed, and/or favourited so far!**

**- 23/9/2012**


	8. Enter Eri

**A/N: Tadaa. Inspiration has hit. **

* * *

**08 - Drabble - Post-Reaper's Game**

* * *

Enter Eri

Eri held up my pink phone, standing outside my front door, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Who's Neku?"

Shoot. I left my phone at her house yesterday - but I didn't think she'd look through my messages.

Reading my mind, she said, "You've been texting way more than usual so I figured you'd got a boyfriend."

"N-neku's not my boyfriend."

"Shiki!" _Huh? Neku?_"I've been trying to call you all morning. We going to Hachiko or what?"

Eri's grin intensified ten-fold as she studied him. She shot me a playful wink.

"Not bad Shiki. Not bad at all."

* * *

**Dedicated to Shinra-ex-SOLDIER because we talked the other day and I love how she writes Eri. Check out her fics :3**

**Also, if anyone wants to suggest a phrase or a word as a 'prompt' feel free to leave one in a review or PM me. Thanks for reading!**

**- 2/10/2012**


	9. Another Experiment

**A/N: Tadaa. This one features everyone's favourite Composer. **

* * *

**09 - Vignette- Post-Another Day**

* * *

Another Experiment

"Ha. Ha. _Ha_. I laughed at your joke. So will you just leave?"

Neku had just been eating lunch at Ramen Don, having been bribed by Ken Doi to try his experimental dish in exchange for Neku's favourite ramen being free the whole of next week. Yes, this dish was killing his taste buds, but he'd rather eat it than have to entertain a certain platinum-blond haired weirdo.

"Hee hee. I never said it was a joke."

The kid was probably smirking. Neku couldn't be bothered to look up from his food to check. "Yeah. But seeing as pigs can't fly yet..."

To Neku's utmost annoyance, Yoshiya Kiryu took a seat next to him, ordering one Shio Ramen from Ken. "It's true though, Nekky."

He twitched at the nickname. "You really expect me to believe that you and Shiki Misaki are going out."

"Not really. But it's still true."

"Dammit Kiryu, just let me eat my lunch in peace." Although that wasn't possible even without him there, seeing as how the last bite Neku took of his ramen made him want to throw up.

"Now, now, didn't I say you could call me Joshua?"

"Didn't I say 'piss off'?"

"Ah, but girls love the name Joshua. It makes them think I'm not local." He then asked in a perfect accent, "Parlez vous Français? "

_Huh. So he _is_ half Japanense._"I don't know what you said - I don't speak French. In any case, I swear that you…well, you know..."

Joshua twirled his hair. "Yes?"

"...played for the other team," Neku finished. _This is awkward._

"Ah that. Hmm not exactly - you could say I'm being experimental." _Experimental!? _Suddenly it felt like Joshua had a lot in common with Neku's lunch. "Shiki doesn't mind though."

_He keeps coming back to Shiki. He couldn't possibly have asked her out and Shiki would never have said yes. _I_ was going to ask her out, and who'd take _Giggles_over me?_

_...Crap. Who_ wouldn't _take him over me? He's a freakin mini-Eiji Ouji. And everyone knows how much Shiki loves Eiji Ouji._

"Hey, buddy - _Joshua_. You're not serious are you? About going out with Shiki?" Neku forced a smile on his face, trying to look friendly. And failing – quite miserably.

"Ah, but Neku, I'm extremely serious. In fact we're going to go to Ten-Four today. In fact, she should be here right around..."

"Hey! Joshua!"

"...now."

The world really hated Neku. Shiki had indeed showed up, her pink hair bouncing as she ran up to them. Joshua stood up, while Neku merely turned from his seat.

"Oh! Blue, you're here too?"

_She calls him Joshua but calls me Blue?_She turned to Joshua "Is he coming with us?"

Neku seethed. "No, Green. I'm not going along with your little date with Rainbow."

"Wha-?"

"In fact - I hope you have a spectacular time." He shot obvious death glares at Joshua. "I'm sure you two make a _wonderful_couple."

"Um Blue I'm not-"

"Because he's _obviously _better than me."

"- dating him."

...Wait, what?

"But Joshua said-" The blond's smile turned very cheshire-like.

"I recall my exact words were, 'Hey, Neku! Guess what? Me and Shiki are going out.' I never said we were dating."

Neku blinked.

"Yes, as in going _out _to ten-four. Poor Nekky got confused, didn't you?" Joshua made an open armed gesture. "Part of my plan, though. I've got great material my column in my school's magazine. This week's topic: 'Do boys get more jealous than girls do?'."

If there was a hole lying around in Shibuya, Neku would gladly crawl into it.

"Well, I'm off. We're going to have to hold off our shopping spree 'till next time, Shiki. See ya."

Joshua practically skipped away with glee. Neku just stared at the space he left, trying not to make eye contact with Shiki. Unfortunately, Shiki filled that space, taking a seat next to Neku, so it made it harder.

"Sheesh, first he ditches me, and then he just leaves behind perfectly edible ramen," she complained purposefully, acting as if the whole thing hadn't occurred.

Neku was grateful for it. He would've left if she had teased him and made him feel even more embarrassed than he was.

They ate their lunch in a comfortable silence (his ramen was still disgusting though). Finally, after Shiki had finished, she spoke.

"Blue - I mean - Neku, um, I'm not interested in Joshua that way." Neku's peeked out of his imaginary hole. "So, um, I was wondering...would this possibly count for a date?"

Neku nearly choked on his food, and felt his face warm up. He was now dancing around his ex-hole with victory music playing in the background. Clearing his throat, he said, "Only if you want it to."

...

"Um, then, after this, would you like to come to the CD shop with me? I hear there are some new albums on sale."

"Would that still count for a date?"

She smiled at him shyly."Only if you want it to."

Heh. The ramen didn't taste so bad now. "It's a date."

* * *

**A/N: Hehe, that was fun to write. Well, Joshua could be like ramen...his hair is stringy for example. -insert Joshua getting offended here- But he did kind of match up Neku with Shiki, so all's good. Oh, and kudos to anyone who got the irony of the answer Neku gave to Joshua's French question. (Joshua could totally be half-japanese...psh.)**

**Until next time!**

**- 9/10/2012**


	10. Compassion

**10 - Drabble- Post-Reaper's Game**

xxxxx

Compassion

Looking back at the Reaper's Game, she had often wondered if she had been hypocritical when she demanded Neku to open up to her.

Shiki wasn't one to cry during movies. She was compassionate, yes, but she also reserved her emotions for herself.

This, however, made tears run down her face. She held back sobs, hoping that Neku wouldn't notice...

He noticed.

Neku put an arm around her, bringing her closer to him.

"It's okay Shiki. I'm here for you," he whispered, gently stroking the top of her head.

It was strange; it had just made her cry even more.


	11. Diamonds in The Sky

**11 - Vignette - Post Reaper's Game**

**xxxxx**

* * *

Diamonds in The Sky

She lay on the cushion of green that surrounded her. If she could shut out the sounds of the cars driving past her house, she could pretend that she was in the middle of a field. When she looked up at the deep vast blueness that was the sky, she could not see even one star. Lying down in the middle of her small garden, even when living on the outskirts, the city's skyscrapers shone too brightly to be able to see stars.

For all of Shibuya's glamour, it could not hold the most precious gems.

_He _would be able to see them. He was currently in Hokkaidou - their school had an extra week on their trip. She wished she could have gone with him. School trips were the best places to make memories. Maybe if she was lucky, they would end up going to the same high school; they could spend their school trips together.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. It was funny how she missed him, even if it was only a week since she last saw him. Perhaps she just appreciated time more - a week could mean the whole world.

She pictured him in her mind. The mess of hair that defied gravity and she believed could not _possibly _be his natural hair colour; the non-committal shrug he gave whenever she asked if it was. That smile that she knew he reserved only for her. The quiet way he would show his affection; taking her hand without a word and offering no reason or explanation. It was still hard to read him sometimes, although he was more open to people now. They weren't exactly a couple but she sensed that he might think of her as something more than a friend. She hadn't sorted out her own feelings yet either, so she was content with how things were now.

The peaceful silence was broken by the buzz of her phone. Sighing, then with much effort, she brought it in front of her face and flipped it open. A bubble of warmth grew within her as she read his message. This was exactly the kind of thing that made her feel a bit hopeful.

If his star-filled sky, shining with its beauty, reminded him of _her_...

She sent him a reply and looked back up at the sky, a small smile on her face.

…then Shibuya's sky reminded her of _him_. It may look empty to anyone who looks at it, but beyond that blanket of blue were countless diamonds, just waiting to be discovered.

* * *

**One Sky. One Destiny.**

**A/N: ...I felt like quoting Kingdom Hearts, alright? xD Anyway, I was trying to work on my descriptions a bit more because a lot of my writing in general depends on my dialogue. It's, of course, not perfect but I quite like how it turned out. Oh and I know in animes characters have whacky hair colours but since the game environment seems to want to be more real I think it's safe to bet Neku dyed his hair (most Japanese people do, nowadays). Eri's hair is most definitely dyed - unless one of her parents was an alien (psh, totally not being cracky there).**

**Anyway - I wonder if everyone has heard about TWEWY Live Remix. I'm excited for some new art :3 If you don't know what Live Remix is google it 8D It's not a sequel but it still another thing.**

**Reviews are appreciated - I'd like to know how I did~**

**- Dina**

**25/10/2012**


	12. Bow to the Moon

**A/N: Tadaa. HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE.**

**12- Drabble - Post Reaper's Game**

xxxxx

* * *

Bow to the Moon

"I'm _not _wearing that. You can't make me."

Shiki looked down at the floor. "It's the stitching, isn't it? I should've known it wouldn't do justice to Eri's perfect design."

"No! There's nothing wrong with it. Your sewing is amazing as always." No response. Shoot. "I'll...wear it."

Only needing his consent, Shiki cut her 'upset' act and somehow got Neku into the costume.

"Wha-? How? Argh - _Shiki_."

"Aww. Mister Werewolfy looks adorable." She kissed his cheek and then pulled back quickly, looking surprised at herself.

He guessed he could live with grey ears and bushy tail for one night.

* * *

**A/N: Fun fact: I actually wrote this in November in advanced for Halloween. How sad. Follow the story~**


	13. Pop

**13 - Vignette - Post Reaper's Game**

**xxxxx**

* * *

**Pop**

What the hell was with my homework? This stuff was way too much maths for me to finish in one day.

_Pop._

Maybe facing the Grim Heaper had put me off the subject. I used to be pretty quick at mental maths but right now my brain was working _so _zetta slow.

_Pop._

So zetta slow? Great, now I was thinking like him.

_Pop._

"Will you quit it?" I yelled, slamming my palms against the table, standing up. I whipped around and shot a glare at Shiki.

"Quit what?" she asked me in a would-be innocent voice.

_Pop_.

"That. Quit popping the bubble-wrap and throw it in the bin."

Shiki shook her head. "But this is so fun. You should try it."

I rolled my eyes. "I already have. It was around the time when I was five."

"C'mon down here," she said, patting the space on the floor next to her.

"I'm busy."

"Neku," she pleaded. "That assignment isn't due 'till next work. I didn't visit you just so you could ignore me and do your homework."

"I didn't ask you to visit me," I muttered. Still, I made it a point of mine to not ignore Shiki so I walked over to her and sat down, crossing my legs. "What did you come over for, anyway?"

She gestured to the small, opened cardboard box on my bed. I reached for it and looked inside, raising an eyebrow. "It's a mug."

"Yep, it's for you," she said. "I was in Shinjuku the other weekend and it looked like something you'd like so I got it for you."

I took the mug out of the box and almost dropped it out of surprise. I couldn't tell from looking down on it, but now that I was holding it, it was clear that it that it had an original CAT creation. The graffiti design was unmistakable. Mr. Hanekoma had similar mugs in his cafe, but I could never ask him for one. That would be uncool; I was probably his biggest fan but it'd be awkward if he I asked and he thought of me as some fanboy.

_Pop_.

I was too busy staring at the mug in awe to notice that Shiki had gotten the bubble wrap out again. When I turned my attention back to her she quickly started talking again.

"Oh, well if you were wondering how I got it, I bought it in an alleyway. Before you say anything like it was dangerous, don't worry Eri was with me." She said that as if Eri would be a lot of help if some delinquents happened to harass them, which I highly doubted. "There was this old man - he had one hell of a beard- and he was selling random trinkets on a mat and I spotted this." She grinned at me, proudly. "Mr. H must had one stolen sometime and it ended all the way in Shinjuku."

I looked back at my mug. I wasn't too sure if I wanted to own something that may have been stolen by Mr. H. Still, I wouldn't be able to get it anywhere else...

_Pop_.

Shiki was fiddling with the bubble-wrap again. "So, um, do you like it?"

She was _nervous_. That explained the unnecessary long-winded story about how she bought the mug.

I placed the mug on the floor while she tugged at a strand of her dark hair. It was funny how I could read her so well. It must be to do with being around her for so long.

"I do. Thanks," I said sincerely, offering her a smile.

"You're welcome." She smiled at me too. "I'm glad you like it."

Oh, Shiki was pretty when she smiled.

"Neku? What is it? Is there something on my face?"

And she was cute when she worried too much.

"Er, aren't you a bit close now..."

Especially cute when her cheeks were pink.

"N-neku?"

_Pop._

* * *

**A/N: I regret nothing. Tadaa - this was inspired today when my dad sent me a box full of his energy-packs for me to bring home. The bubble-wrap was there...and I went crazy. It's addictive. Anyway, hope you liked that enjoyed fluff at the end! :D **


	14. Another Doodle

**A/N: Tadaa. I was planning on something different today but it strayed off course from what I consider a drabble/vignette so you get this instead.**

* * *

**14 - Drabble- Post-Another Day**

**xxxxx**

* * *

Another Doodle

"_Wow_. You really suck at drawing."

I jumped, shutting my sketchbook.

"I do _not_." What would she know anyway?

She snatched my book from my hands and flipped through it. She waved one of my drawings in front of me, snickering. "Is _this_ meant to be a cat?"

Yes. "No."

"Oh! Is it a pig then?"

No. "Yes."

"It's still a really bad drawing though."

I shrugged, trying not to show how much she just bruised, as she continued browsing.

She stopped flipping the pages suddenly. "...is this me?"

Yes. No. "Maybe?"

…

…

…

"My head's too big."

"_That's_ perfectly accurate."

…

"_Idiot_."

xxxxx

* * *

**A/N: Baka-Neku is also interchangeable with 'idiot' by the way. This was inspired by the review _Inita _gave me on the first chapter of this collection, when she talked about Neku and art. I was thinking to myself, later 'haha, what if it turned out Neku sucked at art'. I added a NeShiki twist to that thought, of course. **

**I'd like to thank everyone who's following this, by the way. It's nice to know people are keeping track of this collection x3 **

**(A review once in a while would be nice too -cough-).**

**Thanks for reading!**

**- Dina**

**14/11/2012**


	15. All to Myself

**15 - Vignette- Post- Reaper's Game - Shiki's Perspective**

**xxxxx**

* * *

All to Myself

"So, when am I going to meet Eri?"

It sounded like a simple question enough, but by now it was one that had been asked over and over again, with varied wordings and different tones. The one Neku used today was casual.

"You'll see her soon," I told him, though I purposefully didn't specify exactly when 'soon' was.

He sighed, holding his hands behind his head and leaning on the wall we were standing by. Neku and I were 'people watching' again. After the game, for one reason or another, we met up outside ten-four every now and when we had nothing else to do, we resorted to watching the people of Shibuya walk by, going on with their daily lives.

"You don't want me to meet her." It was a statement, not a question.

And it wasn't totally untrue. I gave him a look that said "guilty as charged" before turning my eyes back to the passer-bys.

I tried to ignore the feeling of him staring at me, but it wasn't working very well, even though I _knew_ he was just trying to get me to talk.

Finally he spoke again, "Well, what's the reason?"

Yes, that was the question. There were too many – too many reasons floating around in my head. There have been countless situations I've imagined up where Eri met Neku, and the majority aren't…preferable.

But this was _Neku_ and I couldn't just _not_ tell him. "You know how every time you said Eri should join us at Hachiko I've said she was busy? I kind of lied sometimes." The feeling of his gaze intensified. "Okay, I lied _most_ of the time." I could see him nod slightly out of the corner of my eye. Of course he knew I was lying all those times; he just wanted me to admit it. He's frustrating like that, but I feel better when I'm talking to (or at) him.

"The truth is, I've been a bit selfish. Eri's my best friend, but she has a lot of other friends too. She used to invite me along with them but I just couldn't quite fit in with them. And I didn't mind – having Eri for a friend was enough for me. That's what I told myself, although it did get lonely sometimes. But after I met you and the others, I just felt like I really belonged," I said quietly, still watching the crowd, though I let the corner of my lips tug upwards in a small rueful smile. "I'm afraid that you guys will like Eri more than me. And that I'll be left behind again…"

My voice trailed off as I waited for Neku's response.

"Idiot."

"What?" My eyes found their way to Neku's, which looked pretty bored. I felt offended. I clenched my fist and held it against my chest. "I just poured my heart to you and all you can say is 'idiot'?!"

"There's no other way to describe those 'troubles' but idiotic." Damn the way he can pull of insults in a monotone voice.

"I'm _so_ sorry that my problems-"

Neku cut me off. "It's idiotic because I've already told you. You'll never be Eri, you're you. You're Shiki. And we all like you for being Shiki. Even if we all end up liking Eri too, you're still going to be our friend." Somehow the lack of expression on his face assured me. As if what he said was just common sense and that us being friends was a hard-ground fact.

Suddenly it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off me. A smile found its way onto my face. "Thanks Neku."

And just like that, we continued watching the people of Shibuya, in a comfortable silence. It was almost like this conversation didn't even happen.

Only, after a while, I heard Neku's voice again.

"Even when I do meet Eri, I'm positive that I'll like you better."

Neku had said this with so much confidence that it surprised me. "How can you be so sure?"

"No matter who I meet, I think you would always be my entry fee."

xxxxx

**A/N: Oh my feels. I think I just gave myself feels with that last line because I just cannot get over how Shiki was Neku's entry fee. I think there should be a song dedicated to that one fact. Someone go make a song about her being his entry fee. Anyway, since I couldn't help myself:**

**Extra:**

"Eri, I've got to introduce you to my new friends."

"Ah, the ones from your, erm, death game, right? You mean I can finally meet them?"

"Yes, they're ready to meet you now. You will not believe what one of them said today…"

…

…

…

"Ohmegosh no way!"

"Yes, I can't believe it, he was just so sweet."

"He _likes_ you. He so totally likes you."

"_No way_. It was just a sweet _platonic_ thing that he said-"

"I've got to text Ai and Mina about this. Let's see, 'Shiki's got herself a boyfriend' -"

"W-what? No!"

"Too late. It's done."

**End.**


	16. Heartbeat

**16 - Drabble- Day 3 (Solo Remix) **

**xxxxx**

* * *

Heartbeat

Shiki had been careless.

The noise had come too close, and was ready to pounce on her – to erase her.

She shut her eyes, waiting for the impact when she felt herself jerk back. She gasped as she saw Neku blasting the Noise with one hand, holding her to him with another. She instinctively grabbed the front of his shirt for support.

Being this close, she could feel his heartbeat - fast and strong.

She always wondered why her heart was still beating even though she was dead.

Still, it was comforting to know that even _he_ had a heart.

* * *

**A/N: Tadaa. This has to be in Solo Remix-universe so that Shiki and Neku can actually see each other during battle. The fanfic came out of the idea that Shiki _must _ be even a little shaken after Neku tried to kill her (I like to think that her acting all 'it's okay :D' was partly due to her facade). Neku has to redeem himself bit by bit here after all. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading~**

**- 29/11/2012**


	17. Have Yourself a Fancy Little Christmas

**17 - Vignette - Post Reaper's Game**

**Dedicated to eolhcsullivan452, Shinra-ex-SOLDIER and Inita. For being my awesome NekuShiki buddies :)**

**xxxxx**

* * *

Have Yourself a Fancy Little Christmas

Christmas in Shibuya - the lights shone brighter, the streets get more crowded and the smiles grew wider.

It's common to find restaurants and squares occupied by couples, hoping to enjoy a romantic evening together.

Which was why Shiki was wondering how she ended up in a fancy restaurant with Neku.

Alone.

When he had called her up earlier that day, she assumed that he'd invited the rest of their friends along too. But when she arrived at their usual spot in Hachiko, he was standing by himself, wearing a long black coat with a blue scarf wrapped around his neck. He greeted her with a smile, and before she could ask any questions, had dragged her off to this restaurant; La Cuisine de Shibuya.

There were two things this place was famous for: serving extremely expensive food, and being impossible to book reservations for.

She wasn't one to question good things but..."How did you get us a place here, Neku?"

Neku shrugged. "I booked early."

And she figured that that was all she was going to get out of him.

She looked around the restaurant, eyes taking in the Christmas decorations as well as all the well-dressed people dining there. She looked down at her green dress; Neku told her to dress nice but she never thought this was the reason why. She felt out of place her, it was seriously too fancy for her.

A moment later, a waiter dressed in customary French white collared shirt and black vest came to their table, giving them their menus. Shiki gulped as she looked at the prices of the food. She didn't bring enough money for this.

"Just order whatever you want. I'm paying," said Neku from behind his own menu.

"A-alright." Shiki settled for the cheapest thing - which was still really expensive.

When the waiter had taken their order and left, she whispered to Neku, "How are you going to afford all of this?"

"Don't worry about it, I've saved up some money for tonight," he assured her.

"Why? I mean, why are we here? How come you're taking me on such an expensive dinner for Christmas?" she asked, finally voicing what she had been wanting to ask since they sat down.

Again, he shrugged. "Just because."

She stared him down, waiting for a proper answer.

"Look, it's not that complicated. I just wanted to treat you to a nice dinner for Christmas," said Neku. "We've never spent Christmas alone together so I figured, why not this year?"

Something about that struck her as odd. "What makes you want to be alone with me on Christmas?"

Now that made Neku fidget, and he reached for his neck, pausing, then lowering it back down. Shiki giggled at the sight - Neku didn't have either his collar or his scarf to fiddle with. "..."

"Neku?"

"I...you..." He seemed to be struggling to find the right words. "I just do, okay."

"Okay." Shiki smiled at him. She thought she knew where he was coming from. It was a welcome change to spend Christmas just with him. They both loved their friends but it felt just a little bit more special with just the two of them.

The food arrived and Shiki breathed in the delicious aroma coming from it. Before she dug in, she looked at Neku. "Merry Christmas, Neku."

He smiled at her. "Merry Christmas, Shiki."

* * *

Tadaa! Miss me? I ran out of inspiration for writing NeShi for awhile. Though I blame that on studying too much x3 Anyway, hope you all had a good Christmas~


	18. After the First

**18 - Vignette - Post Reaper's Game**

**Dedicated to khheroxasoray :'D**

**xxxxx **

* * *

Stitched Graffiti – After the First

Heart still beating unnaturally fast, Shiki wondered how Neku could stay so calm for the whole day. Then again, this was Neku, so it should not have been too surprising.

She still couldn't believe that Neku had asked her out on a date, even after having spent the whole day at Pon Land, which they had to take the train out of Shibuya to reach.

He had been very clear about it - not a, "Do you want to go out?" in which common misunderstandings could be easily made; or a covered up "There's this new theme park just outside Shibuya, wanna go check it out?"; but a blunt, "Shiki. I owe you a date - let's go somewhere."

He didn't seem embarrassed when he said it, but the Bito siblings both swore that his face was crimson when he was walking home with them.

In any case, she was glad Neku asked - she had developed a sort of kind of small crush on him.

Neku was walking her home, keeping close beside her. For these colder days, he exchanged his regular J&M sleeveless top with...a J&M long sleaved jumper. It was still a purplish-blue colour, though. His shorts had been replaced with a black pair of pants.

It wasn't the most fashionable assembly of clothes, but Shiki especially liked a certain part of his attire -

The scarf. He was wearing the black scarf that she had made for him. And he almost never willingly wore the clothes he made her (a loyal J&M customer to the end, she guessed).

She also assumed he didn't have gloves; his hands were shoved into his jumper's front pockets.

She brought her own ungloved hands up and rubbed them together; she really should have knitted some new gloves, her hands were freezing.

Another hand suddenly tugged at her left hand. She gave Neku a questioning look, before he entwined his own with hers.

"E-eh?"

"...it'll keep you warm," he said, in monotone, though she spotted his cheeks tinge pink, and not from the cold.

"Oh. T-thanks." And it also wasn't the cold's fault that she had stuttered just then.

_Calm down Shiki, he's just keeping a promise._ This date didn't really mean anything. _He's just treating you, that's all. And he's just getting embarrassed 'cause he's Neku._

Arriving, at the front of her apartment building, they both stopped walking; Neku, to Shiki's disappointment, let go of her hand.

"Neku, about today," she started, "thanks. I had a lot of fun! We should go again sometime, we can bring along Eri, Beat and Rhyme."

"I thought you weren't supposed to bring friends on dates," said Neku, pulling at the tip of his front spike.

It took a few seconds for his words to register.

"Huh? You mean you want to go on another date with me? I mean, you don't have to take me out again since you only promised one... "

Neku brought his hand to his face. "Don't tell me that this whole time you were thinking that I only took you out 'cause I promised to."

"But you said you 'owed' me -"

"- well it's less embarrassing then saying 'I want to go on a date with you'." He let out an exasperated sigh and the same annoyed glance she was familiar with getting from him if she wasn't thinking.

_Wait...but that means..._

Before she had the chance to finish her thoughts Neku was there - kissing her.

_Oh. That's what he means._

* * *

**A/N: Welp its been almost a month since my last update so it's about time, right? I know, I know, this is pretty similar to last chapter but it _is _kinda different. AND HE KISSED HER. WOOT. Hmm I can't remember writing in a kiss for this collection before this...there's an implied one in 'Pop' though. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! I might have another for the 25th, since it's my birthday then, and what better way to celebrate than with a fic?**_  
_

**22/1/2013**


	19. Birthday

**19 - Vignette - Post Reaper's Game, Twelve-Fifteen Years Later**

**xxxxx**

* * *

Birthday

Blue eyes. Black hair.

The Child, just old enough to walk, cannot be mistaken for anyone but _their_ child. The the famous producer, so young yet already so successful, and the equally well-known seamstress, one of two of the trending fashion-duo. A celebrity couple, often described as 'a match made in heaven'.

They laugh amongst themselves quietly at this, because the saying is not too far off (though their experience was anything but heavenly).

They do not think about the tabloids and speculative articles on this day, though.

Today is special and they are in their own home, with their own Friends. The Father glares at the teasing comments that the Composer _still_ throws at him. The Siblings laugh; a mixture of hearty guffaws and a tinkling of a bell.

The Mother walks out of the kitchen with cake in arms, alight with a sole candle, and places it on the table. The Father lifts the Child so that the Child is standing on the chair. He does not let go, holding the Child by his shoulder so that he does not fall.

The Child's eyes stare in wonder at the glowing light, not knowing what it signifies; the anniversary of this child's birth; the memories of that day, all the memories leading up to that day, and all the ones leading up to this moment.

Smiling warmly at each other, the Mother and Father each take one of the Child's hands and blow out the candle together.

"Happy Birthday!"

* * *

**A/N: Tadaa! I did promise a chapter today :'D I had such a wonderful birthday, and thanks to everyone who wished me happy birthday today x3 **

**This chapter was something a bit different than usual, but I hope you still enjoyed it. Hope you have a great day!**

**- 25/1/13**


	20. Enter Beat

**20 - Drabble - Post Reaper's Game**

**xxxxx**

* * *

Enter Beat

"You ain't dating?"

Neku fidgeted.

Shiki blushed.

They were both embarrassed by the look of pure _confusion_ he gave them.

"O-of course not, Beat. Neku and I are friends, you know."

"For real?! I coulda' sworn you two were together." Beat scratched the back of his head.

"Don't just make assumptions," Neku muttered.

"Imma make assucktions when I want to. You and Shiki are always givin' each other those looks, you know? The same ones you see on those sappy romances Rhyme makes me watch with her, yo."

Why exactly did Beat have to be observant for something like _this?_

xxxxx

Oh Beat. I really adore that guy. Can you not just imagine him assuming that they were a couple? (Because he secretly ships them -cough-). I'll keep you guessing about who's going to make their 'entrance' next.

Anyway if you're wondering why the updates are slowing down, it's because I've started work on a multi-chapter fic for in the TWEWY section. It's called 'Sanctuary' and one of its main plot lines has an aspect of Neku/Shiki, so check it out if you've got the time. Thanks for reading!


	21. Calm Before the Storm

**21 - Vignette- Reaper's Game - Week 1 - Day 7**

**xxxxx**

* * *

Calm Before the Storm 

They had the whole day. There wasn't a time limit.

_This_ was their last day.

By now they had crushed countless Bigbanfrogs, pulverised Garage Wolves, and shot down Decadravens, and they were finally ready to end this.

There was one last battle. Only _one_ to go.

"Neku...I'm hungry. Can we go grab a bite?"

She did _not _just ask that.

"Are you kidding me?" Neku groaned in exasperation. After finally having accepted Stalker as someone who was 'alright', she had to go and ask that. "We're about to cross the last bridge to getting our lives back and you want to _eat._"

"Hey, you know we can't fight on an empty stomach. We've been fighting for half the day to get ready for 'the final showdown' but we won't be at our best if we're hungry," she reasoned. The plush cat/piggy thing seemed to be nodding along in agreement with her.

Neku would have dismissed her idea in a heartbeat if this had been a week ago. He had to admit, though, that he was feeling a bit hungry. Throughout the week, they discovered that food strengthened them somehow, not just in their ability to fight but in spirit as well.

"If we really have to," he said, and Shiki took that as an optimistic response and suggested that they head over to the hotdog place.

Neku found that a strange choice but decided to go along with it.

Shiki was having a great time munching down on the food, and Neku wondered how she could eat so much yet be so stick-thin. He wasn't the most built up person himself, but that was because he chose not to eat.

Oh right, she was in Eri's body at the moment. He assumed that Shiki, being the fashionista that she was, she would undoubtedly want to keep a slim figure and would be pretty skinny too.

She caught him staring at her. "What's up, Neku?"

"Nothing. I was just trying to imagine what you would look like," he said with a shrug, having already finished his food by now.

"Oh." Shiki put down her half eaten hot dog. She started to look uncomfortable and shifted in her seat.

"Don't think too much about it. I don't care what you really look like." ...somehow that sounded like it came out wrong. "What I meant to say is..." Damn, he wasn't used to this yet.

"It's alright. I understand what you're trying to say," she said with a smile.

She resumed eating and Neku could only shake his head at her.

"I wear glasses," she said suddenly.

"...Hm."

"Was that a good 'hm' or a bad 'hm'?"

"It's just that I thought people with glasses were meant to be smart." He earned a smack to the back of his head for that.

"That's being _so_ stereotypical," she said, pouting.

Neku could tell that she wasn't genuinely upset. He was glad that he had been here with her for the past few days. If he hadn't, Shiki might still be insecure. Right now, she knew she was different from Eri, but she was okay with that. The game really changed her.

"Maybe. Even so, I think that you'd suit glasses."

_Woah, where did _that_ come from?_ Shiki must have been thinking the same thing, as her face showed a certain aspect of shock at the sudden (sort-of) compliment.

"Really, why?" She peered at him, her face moving closer to his, probably to make sure he meant it.

He turned his away instinctively as he felt a foreign heat rise to his face.

"Just a feeling I got."

Maybe, just maybe, the game managed to change him too, even if only by a little bit.

* * *

**A/N: Tadaa! This is the result of not having done a lot of in-game drabbles/vignettes for them. I need to do more x3 Also, Noise have seriously cool names xD**


	22. Envy

**A/N: Tada- oh forget it. This chapter was so freakin hard to right. I swear, I kind of want to give up on writing this collection. Besides, after tumblr-ing I think I'm kinda leaning more towards Joshua x Neku now, strangely enough.**

**22 - Vignette- Post Reaper's Game **

**xxxxx**

* * *

Envy

It sometimes occurred that not all of the former Players could make it to Hachiko every time they decided to meet.

Shiki, especially, had to miss out on their gatherings every now and then. Usually this was because she needed to work on a new design Eri wanted to make.

Today was no different, Neku had thought. His first Partner wasn't here today and this wasn't a problem; she would be here next time, or the time after that.

He, Beat and Rhyme had been walking down the streets when they saw Shiki enter a shop, accompanied by another boy who looked the same age as them. Neku stopped walking immediately. Looking through the glass in front of the shop's display, he could see that they were looking at the different materials there.

"I thought Shiki had a project with Eri, yo," said Beat, echoing Neku's thoughts.

"Oh! No, she told me that she had a school art project. I think that guy is her project partner," Rhyme explained, looking in just as curiously. "She was telling me that she was nervous about talking to him since he's been in her class for so long, though she never really talked to him before."

Neku narrowed his eyes. It didn't seem like she was having any trouble; she seemed to be laughing at something the guy had said while the guy was grinning like a fool.

Well...it was good that she was making her own friends, right?

Just as he had thought that, the boy picked up a paper flower from the pile in front of them and tucked it behind her ear.

He said something to her which had made her blush.

It suddenly felt as if everything was closing in on him. His stomach felt empty and his chest tightened. Clenching his fists, he wondered what caused him to feel like that. It was certainly not because Shiki was giving that boy a kind of smile that Neku had never seen directed at himself.

She now looked away from her project partner, only to notice Neku looking at them. She smiled and gave him a small wave.

Unreasonably, he returned the gesture with a cold gaze and turned to continue down the street; Beat and Rhyme fell in step with him while giving him confused looks.

What had possessed him to feel so constricted, he wasn't too sure.

All he knew was that he didn't want to see that other boy with Shiki again.

* * *

**A/N: That awkward moment when no one falls for your fail attempt at an April Fool's Joke. Oh well. You guys all know that NeShiki is and will always be my TWEWY OTP right? I don't like JoshNeku much at all tbh x3 And actually this fic came to me pretty easily~ **

**Shoutout to cutekitty5597 for making this beautiful icon for me. Go read a fic of hers and review, will ya? x3**

**Also, I'll dedicate the next chapter to all those who know which song I'm referencing for this chapter's summary.**


	23. Another Tamabula

**23 - Vignette- Post Another Day**

**Dedicated to: cutekitty5597 for guessing the right song reference :'D It was 'Starstruck' by 3OH!3 for anyone who was wondering.**

**xxxxx**

* * *

Another Tamabula

"The Prince is as hot as always." Shiki sighed as she stared at the gif image of Eiji Ouji. It was one that was taken from one of his interviews and it had his perfect laughing face for all White Angels like her to stare at.

"Is that really what you've been doing all day?" Neku asked finally, after having been ignored for the past ten minutes.

"Of course," said Shiki, with no shame in her voice. "I'm the leader of the White Angels and it's important for me to keep the blog up to date."

"I really don't get the point of all this reblogging business. Seems like a bore to me."

"Shh." Couldn't he tell she was busy? She was just adding the caption to one of the Prince's beautiful pictures.

"'Dat Ass'? Are you serious?" Neku was now peering over her shoulder and looking at the screen cynically.

"But look at it! Look at his-"

"Ass?" He finished drily. "C'mon Shiki. Weren't we going to play some Tin Pin with the gang?"

She couldn't help but giggle. He really didn't look like it, but Neku was a hard-core Tin Pin lover. She would bet that if he had a Tamabula he would reblog nothing but Tin Pin related things.

Shiki took out her phone, causing him to groan. "What are you doing now?"

"Just uploading some pics from my phone. I can use a Tamabula app on it."

"Then we could have left already! You can do your thing while we walk," he said, the irritable tone was unmistakable.

"What? I'm not ready!" Shiki hadn't even put on her hat yet.

"Fine, I'll wait for you downstairs." She heard him grumble about wanting to 'start playing Tin Pin already' as he left her room.

Little did he know that she used her phone app for her own personal blog. She smiled smugly as she uploaded the picture she took of Neku while his back was turned.

The caption?

"Dat Ass."

* * *

**A/N: Tadaa! Lol I have no clue what was up with my brain when I wrote this. Of course, 'Tamabula' is based on...well, if you don't know what site I'm talking about then there's no hope for you xD Another thing - I can't believe how many people fell for my April Fool's joke. Thanks for all being great sports x3**


	24. Irregular

**24 - Drabble - ?**

**Dedicated to: Ay101 - because she reviewed all the chapters so far in a row, and I personally know how tedious that is, so thank you!**

**xxxxx**

* * *

Irregular

_Tick_

He walks slowly. She wastes none of her strides.

_Tock_

Time drags him through his paces. Time - there's never enough of it for her.

_Tick_

His path and her path should never cross, but they do anyway...

_Tock_

From now on they walk side by side.

_Tick_

There are times where he needs to run to catch up with her. There are times where she stops for far too long.

_Tock_

As the clock ticks on, they eventually fall back in step with each other.

_Tick_

Because time never stops, and they won't either.

_Tock_

_Tick_

_Tick..._

* * *

**A/N: Tadaa! Hope you all enjoyed this one. It was more abstract than is common in this fic. Especially the timeline...when would this happen? After they became partners? Much later? Hmm.**

** I don't usually write in this style to. Mostly because I think I might fail in this style, but I thought I did pretty okay x3 Thanks for reading!**


	25. Faults

**25- Vignette - Postt Reaper's Game**

* * *

**Faults**

Some days it was just too much.

The green monster, which she thought she had completely vanquished, reared its head up again.

Shiki was ashamed. Ashamed of being so weak that she couldn't even push aside that monster to be happy for Eri.

But maybe she was partly to blame. The fashion workshop only had so many places, yet she had been so confident that she would be getting one.

_It's my fault._

It was her fault that she wasn't good enough and it was her fault for expecting too much.

So she faked a smile. Even that wasn't good enough to fool anyone, especially not Eri. Her friend said nothing, though; she knew that speaking out wouldn't help.

She ran out of Eri's house, without even stopping to ask for an umbrella.

The rain crashed down on her and distorted her vision. She wasn't looking at where she wasn't going, so it didn't matter anyway.

She wasn't surprised to find she herself ending up in front of Neku's house. She was definitely surprised to see him waiting outside.

The phone in his hand told her Eri had called him.

Well, it was a good thing it was raining; at least he couldn't distinguish her tears from the rain.

She didn't want him to see her weak.

He stepped towards her. She stepped back.

Although his hair is flattened down, she could still see his eyes narrow.

He took another step towards her. She stayed where she was. He took another, and another, until he was standing just in front of her

His eyes burned into hers and she felt more tears spill out. She didn't want to see them, so she did the most logical thing to do and buried her face into his chest, hands curled against it.

She was hiding from his gaze, but at the same time, there was no point. He had already seen her at her weakest before - there was nothing left to hide.

The sound of her sobs were drowned out by the rain, but they were still there nevertheless.

Awkward arms surrounded her and Neku, too, said nothing.

He didn't need to.

His presence was enough for her.

An eternity passed, and they stayed there until the last drop had fallen.

It was then that she looked up at him. His mouth spoke no words, but his eyes told her secrets. Maybe he realised, because then he turned his eyes to the sky.

She followed his line of sight and her thoughts experienced a momentary insanity.

_It's your fault_.

It was his fault that the rain had stopped.

* * *

**A/N: Tadaa! We're a quarter of the way through this collection. If I stick to my plan of making 100 chapters in total. Anyway, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers, followers and the people who have put this fic onto their favourites. I really appreciate all the support. 100+ reviews is pretty amazing, for me. Seriously, I love you all.**

**- Dina (17/5/2013)**


	26. Starving for Knowledge

**26 - Vignette - Post Reaper's Game**

* * *

**Starving for Knowledge**

She hated exams. She still had another week of them, after all. It was so unfair that Neku was done with his. Beat and Rhyme seemed to have finished theirs too. It was only hers where they were still ongoing.

Raising her grades had never been a big deal for her. She just wasn't that smart and though she was jealous of Eri for being naturally clever, she didn't make an effort to study more. After that fateful Game, though, she wanted to become a bit more knowledgeable.

Even though she had gotten more points compared to Neku, it really was him that solved all the missions. After dancing on the borderline of death that week, she didn't want to be too reliant upon either Neku or Eri's intelligence anymore.

So why was she out with Neku at a new ice cream parlour?

"Hm. Not bad," said Neku, after taking a taste of his chocolate ice cream.

She looked down and was met with the sight of her open notebook instead of her own scoop of ice cream. Shiki asked Neku to come out with her to get ice cream. He told her that he'd come and even offered to treat her to one - only after she studied her notes for at least an hour. He was surprisingly pushy about studies.

Shiki stared at his ice cream longingly. She wanted to eat one _so_ bad.

Shaking her head, she tried to concentrate and read her notes.

Huh? Why was Neku getting up? He walked over to the counter and was back with another scoop of ice cream.

Damn, how long did she have left? Her eyes slid over to the clock hanging above the counter. Had it only been ten minutes?

She groaned in frustration and willed herself to study. She could do this. She _could_ do this. She - oh it looked so good!

Neku noticed her stares and raised an eyebrow at her. She frowned at him, partly blaming him for ruining her concentration, even though she was the one who wanted to come here.

He sighed and took a spoonful of ice cream and holding it out in front of her. As if...as if he intended to _feed_ her.

"Huh?!" Her exclamation gave him a chance to put the spoon in her mouth and she let the savoury sweetness invade it before she pulled away.

"You can have a bite every ten minutes," he said, in an oddly strict tone, "but I've got to see you studying."

With Neku watching her like a hawk, she scrambled back to work. Even though the ice cream had been very cool, her face was burning. She took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself and get back into her work.

Well, what was ten minutes of studying at a time if she got some ice cream out of it?

And...well...as embarrassing as it was, she kind of enjoyed being fed by Neku.

* * *

**A/N: Tadaa! This was the result of me procrastinating about my _own _exams. I wanted to update SG but I was stuck on what to write about and my concious kept saying 'go and study'. The two thoughts obviously got mixed up and this happened. The ice cream bit just came to me xD Hope you enjoyed that~ Thanks for reading!**

**- Dina (4/6/2013)**


	27. Complications

**27 - Prompted Drabble - Week 2 Day 4**

* * *

**Complications**

He just can't deal with it.

Here he is, with both his and Shiki's life on the line, and he's stuck with a prick who has nothing good to say and keeps spouting out some historical crap.

Neku also has a deep suspicion that Joshua's killed him. The images he's seen earlier leave little room for argument.

He is already at his ends wits but Joshua comes along and brings him even more complications than he needs.

As they pass Hachiko today, Neku reinforces in his mind that this is for Shiki's sake.

It's the only thought keeping him sane.

* * *

**A/N: Tadaa! Quicker update than usual because...I can. Woot. Inspired by Secret Report 10 and prompted by cutekitty1997. Thanks for reading~**


	28. Heirloom

**28 - Prompted Vignette - Post- Game**

* * *

**Heirloom**

"Where did you get the cat from?" Neku wasn't talking about Mr. Mew, of course. He was directing his question at Shiki, concerning the jade cat statue sitting on Shiki's bookshelf.

It looked out of place; the rest of her room was decorated very stylishly, with bright posters and fashionable accessories on her dresser. He didn't know a whole lot about fashion (though he was getting there, due to spending time with Shiki) but he knew it looked a bit off.

She looked up at it fondly. "It's kind of a family heirloom. I don't know when the tradition started, but it's passed down to the first child when they're ten years of age."

"That's a strange tradition," he commented, raising an eyebrow at her.

In response, she stuck her tongue out at him. "Is not. I think it's rather nice. I can just imagine the feeling of seeing the look on my kid's face when I give it to him or her."

"Right. So is the statue the reason why your first project was Mr. Mew?"

"Yep - wait! You just acknowledged that Mr. Mew is a cat," she said gleefully. Obviously she had been waiting a long time for this.

He shrugged. "Whatever."

Neku's response was less than satisfactory, nevertheless Shiki bounced up onto her feet, taking it and then handing it to Neku. "Can't you just feel the weight of history of it?"

"Sure..." He was just humouring her, really. It did feel pretty heavy for such a small object, though. "More importantly, are you sure I'm allowed to hold this? Since it's an heirloom and all."

It looked like he just knocked the colour off her face. "Oh no."

"What?"

She brought her hands up to her face, covering it. "I completely forgot."

"What?" Neku repeated.

"If someone besides the one who's given it touches it, the owner's love life will be cursed forever."

"...Please don't tell me you seriously believe that." Neku rolled his eyes at her.

"I do, believe it," she said snatching it out of his hands.

"C'mon, it was probably just one of your ancestors who came up with the rules. How's a curse supposed to get there?"

"I have the right to be superstitious, you know." She left out the bit where she justified it using the Reaper's Game, but he had the feeling she wanted to say that.

"Well, if I promised to marry you, it would be fine, right?"

...

"W-what? Neku, we're not even dating yet."

"I was just joking okay! Huh - did you say 'yet'?"

"I meant that if you want to marry someone you have to date first."

"You really want to marry me?"

"No!"

"Ouch, you didn't have to deny it that badly. Am I that horrible? "

"Neku!"

By now their faces were both red in the face and Neku coughed rather awkwardly before gathering up his things. "I should head home now."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," she squeaked as he let himself out.

Although they couldn't see each other, the same thought ran through their minds: _"What was that?!"_

* * *

**A/N: Tadaa! My friend gave me this prompt when she found out I wrote fanfics and was like 'PROOOMPT'. This is the best I can come up with...welp, hope you enjoyed reading it :)**

**...Please review? ;D**


End file.
